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Opinion
The NRL season is through ten rounds and a very competitive Magic Round is now complete. Last weekend gave a great example of how successful this event already is, despite the special round existing for just three years. Fans witnessed some superb footy, along with some upsets. This article will summarise each match from the past week.
Bulldogs vs Knights
The entertainment value of this round did not start off very promisingly as the opening game delivered plenty of lacklustre attack and errors all around. Particularly the Bulldogs, as they had an error count of 15 and a completion rate of 64 per cent.
The Knights ended their losing streak and showed small signs of improvement, and their upcoming match against Brisbane will prove whether or not they’ve gotten better This was, in my opinion, the worst match of the round.
Manly vs Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos gave their home fans a masterclass and a large part of it was off the back of some brilliance by Adam Reynolds. The shutout performance earned Brisbane’s fourth-straight win and have got Broncos fans like myself ‘up and about’.
The Sea Eagles, on the other hand, were completely woeful on Friday night and many could argue that Tom Trbojevic’s knee was the reason. Instead, I think that they simply just weren’t ready for a Broncos ambush and didn’t know how to stop it.
Warriors vs Rabbitohs
The New Zealand Warriors seemed down and out before nearly completing a miraculous second-half comeback. They were down 26-0 at one point and didn’t seem a chance at getting themselves back in the game. Numerous back-to-back tries bought them within two points, however, Shaun Johnson was anti-climatically unable to nail a two-point field goal, which would have sent the game to extra time.
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Although it was a valiant effort, they need to start a lot better and they continue their struggles.
Cody Walker performed nearly a perfect first half which set the bunnies up well. However, the Rabbits must start playing 80-minute football.
Dragons vs Titans
This match went down to the wire and the Gold Coast gave the fans at Suncorp some magic as Jarrod Wallace muscled his way over the line to tie the game, before loan recruit Jamayne Isaako crossed the line in the corner to gain the Titans their third win of the season.
Both teams were ordinary in patches, as well as some momentum changing plays. Towards the end, it felt like both were trying their best to lose the game. Fortune did not favour the Dragons as some unforced errors cost them the two competition points and they seem to be back in the deep end, despite everyone thinking they had turned their season around after three straight wins.
Storm vs Panthers
This top-of-the-table match-up was long awaited and the quality of football was still great, however, the absence of Ryan Papenhuyzen, Reimis Smith and Jahrome Hughes caused a dint in the first vs second contest.
It’s hard to tell much from this match as Melbourne were obviously not at full strength, although Penrith were outstanding in attack and defence. Despite the Panthers winning this tussle by 26 points, it takes nothing away from how great both these teams currently are and hopefully when these two teams meet next, they will have their best sides available.
Sharks vs Raiders
The Canberra Raiders backed up last week’s win against the Doggies by sprinting out of the gates on Sunday, which earnt them a 20-0 halftime lead. The Raiders nearly gave the game away in the second half as they were gifting Cronulla field possession and were locked in an 11-against-13 battle for part of the half due to sin bins.
The Sharks were woeful all day and simply couldn’t capitalise before a Brad Schneider try secured their fourth campaign win. Many questions could be asked about Cronulla, especially about their attack, which hasn’t looked close to great since their dominant win over Manly (besides last week against Warriors).
A loss against the Titans on Sunday could certainly place them under the pump, however, a convincing victory can be a great helping hand to get them back on track.
Roosters vs Eels
The Sydney Roosters may be finding their form from recent years which they’ve been badly missing so far this season. James Tedesco was my player of the match on Sunday as he has carried the Chooks all season long and continued it during this contest.
This time around, the whole side followed his steps and constructed a superb team effort. This showed how much potential they have and I believe this is their first stepping stone on the way to being consistently at their best.
(Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
Being a Parra fan is the hardest life. The Eels have beaten the two most positively talked about teams in the comp, (Melbourne and Penrith) yet can’t defeat the Roosters or Cowboys. Obviously, both sides have been without a doubt competitive this year, however, if you can beat first and second place, then you should be able to avoid getting blown out by North Queensland and suffering a first-half blitz by the struggling Chooks.
Tigers vs Cowboys
To finish off the extraordinary round, this game had some of the best moments in it, such as the Murray Tualagi Superman act, or Reuben Cotter busting the line and turning into a fullback with the insane running skills, despite being a prop.
The scoreline ended up being very one-sided, as the Cows ran away with the two competition points in the second half. North Queensland is looking the best we’ve seen since their unforgettable 2017 finals run. Even myself who is a Broncos fan and takes much dislike to the Cowboys, can’t deny how entertaining and great their footy is looking at the moment.
The Tigers are beginning to find themselves stuck in the mud one again after being greatly excited for two weeks after those back-to-back memorable wins. This week they face the Bulldogs and if they suffer another defeat, it could be a large step towards finishing as wooden spooners.
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